OTTAWA - A major supplier of cold and cough remedies is recalling 17 products because the child-resistant mechanism of the bottle caps can fail, putting children at risk for potential harm.

Due to the faulty caps, children may be able to open the bottles and ingest the products, which contain ingredients that can cause serious adverse health consequences in youngsters, including death.

Health Canada said Thursday it has not received any reports of adverse reactions as a result of the defective caps, but maker Novartis Consumer Health Canada Inc. is recalling the products and asking retailers to immediately halt their sale.

Novartis, which has confirmed the cold and cough products were distributed across Canada, is also asking retailers to return the over-the-counter medicines to the company.

Health Canada suggests consumers consult their health-care practitioner if they have any concerns about the following recalled products: